“Muslim Queer Month” — Coming to a University Near You!

October 15, 2016

3 min read

Wake Up Call

I recently received the following message from a sister at a US university. Reading this blew my mind and made me realize how fast things are moving south. And this MSA doesn’t sound like it is atypical. If this is what kids active in the MSA are pushing for, imagine what the average non-MSA Muslim is into. This is the future generation that is going to be leading the Muslim community, but what are they going to be leading us to?

The end of her message really hits home. There is a deafening silence on this issue. We have a lot of work to do.

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Salamun Alaykum Brother Daniel,

I am an MSA president. Some people in my MSA want to organize a Muslim Queer Month. Let alone a month, I do not want to organize an event in which homosexual relationship is legitimized. The arguments they come up with are: “You are denying people’s identities and their existence.” When I tell them this is not islamically compatible according to our tradition, I am told that tradition might be oppressive and marginalizing and they say that the whole point of such events to show that queer muslims exist, and the events do not make any claims about what Islam says. They want to put on a gallery in which there are Muslim homosexual couples with children and other disturbing photos, and bring speakers who will show a ‘different’ narrative. Other people who believe that homosexuality is haraam either do not say anything or think that this might be a learning opportunity! I think what I need to explain is 1) why displaying those narratives are so wrong 2) why as an MSA we cannot partake in supporting and legitimizing those narratives. I thought I’d ask you if you can give me any ideas about how to assert Islam’s position on this issue with regards to the questions above. JazaikAllah

[Then a followup message a few days later.]

It is the majority of the MSA [that wants this Muslim Queer Month]. I tried to talk to them and explain but it did not work, unfortunately they kept saying we are not justifying anything we are just uplifting voices that are silenced, i.e., by showing homosexual muslim couples with children. subhanAllah. I resigned. I am upset because they do not understand it is a big deal, and it is not their fault only. Our scholars in US are not very vocal about this issue for the sake of political correctness. I understand they are trying to dull the sensation that it might create for public at large, but it is destroying the Muslim youth here. The vocabulary they use about inclusion, acceptance and diversity are very vague and young people interpret it as there can be a difference of opinion on anything including this issue. Sorry for bothering you over this, but since you are a popular blogger I imagine you know scholars too. Please let them know that being a Muslim in college is extremely hard and there needs to be a serious intercollegiate initiative to support Muslims SPIRITUALLY with correct aqeeda and adab. JazaikAllahukhair.

Wake Up CallI recently received the following message from a sister at a US university. Reading this blew my mind and…